The Cave
by Mal Is My King
Summary: The cave. It was where they first met. He was on the run, in fear of being bashed and she had challenged the Queen Bee in a game of Truth or Dare and was paying the price.


"Truth or Dare?" Dakota asked Heather, hugging a purple and pink spotted pillow to her chest.

"Truth." The raven haired girl replied.

"Is it true... You're planning on breaking up with Alejandro for Justin?" Dakota shot, Heather jumped clearly not expecting that.

"Of course not! Alejandro and I are strong." Heather said with a huff. Zoey sighed from behind the group of girls. The group was made of the most popular girls in school:

Heather, The leader of the pack, The Queen Bee.  
Dakota, The pretty rich girl.  
Anne Maria, Resident Jersey Shore reject.  
Courtney, She knows everything about everyone.  
Lindsay, Will do what ever Heather tells her too. She's not that bright.

Why did she agree to come to a sleepover with the most popular girls in school? Simple: Heather would have made her life harder than she already does.

Zoey was the school's loner, Heather and the other populars had a mission to make her life hell. Zoey had thought that maybe Heather invited her over to apologize, start a friendship. Start over. But that little thought faded the second she walked into Heather's house, where the group started criticizing her about everything. Her hair, clothes, car, You get the point. She wanted to go home so badly but that would be a suicide mission as Heather would not EVER let her live it down.

Zoey curled up tighter and hugged the pillow beside her for support. Maybe if she fell asleep it would be over quicker? No... The girls would most likely put toothpaste in her hair - or worse - Hair remover.

Anne Maria noticed her small movement, and a wicked grin appeared on her face. Zoey's eyed widened. She had managed to avoid a turn for the last hour. Toilet, Phone call, but now she had no excuses. Anne Maria nudged Heather and tilted her head toward the scared indie girl.

This won't end well... Thought Zoey. She gulped as Heather spoke.

"Zoey." She said smirking. "Truth or Dare?"

Zoey had no idea what to choose, Challenge Heather with a dare? Or try to answer a highly embarrassing question.

"Dare." Zoey answered. The others gasped. No one challenges Heather. Well and gets out ALIVE. Instead of yelling or getting mad, Heather smirked. She had a plan.

"Go into the woods at the back of the school. Stay there all night. We'll check on you but you won't know when. Have fun." Heather told her with a devious grin. Zoey let out a squeak. She hadn't expected Heather to be that cold hearted.

Zoey sighed but reached for a bag but Heather yanked it away.

"HEY!" She yelled.

"You have nothing to work with." Heather said grinning. The other girls tried to hide their laughter but failed miserably.

Zoey sighed again and walked out of the room. She saw a small cardigan laying on the floor next to the coat rack. She grabbed it and ran. She ran and ran and ran. She knew Heather would be watching. She slipped the cardigan on. It was a little big but that would probably help her considering it was freezing cold and she had nothing but dark purple shorts and a lighter purple, silk singlet on. Zoey shivered it was going to be a long night.

"I should have just picked truth and told them what guy I liked or something..." Zoey muttered, She should have known from experience that challenging Heather was a bad, very bad, idea.

She trekked out to the woods, occasionally tripping on a branch or two, she sighed, but then had a thought, maybe if she went high enough into the woods, Heather wouldn't be able to see her and she could take the long way home, Sleep there for the night and then go back at like 4 in the morning! She had doubts about the plan so she decided against it, although maybe if she DID actually go deep into the woods there might be shelter of some description. That was worth a shot.

As she got thurther in the cold started to get even colder and the night sky was pitch black with darkness. Zoey shivered. She had been more of a Summer person herself.

"C'mon Zoey. We can get through this!" She told herself. After about half an hour of walking, she was deep into the woods. She could no longer see the town. She was pretty high up, she had been walking up a slope.

Zoey squinted her eyes into the distance onto a large rock formation. She grinned in delight.

"A cave!" She cried and scrambled toward it. She wrapped the cardigan around her small figure tighter trying to keep warm. Failing miserably. It was just to cold.

"Maybe I can start a camp fire." Zoey muttered to herself. She walked into the dull gray cave. The rocks were dark in colour making it even harder for the poor girl to see, but after clanking some rocks together for a while she eventually made a small fire. She quickly grabbed a heap of twigs and put them over the burning dirt and rock just outside the cave. She would collect firewood in a bit. Zoey took a rather large stick and lit fire on the end opposite to the one she was holding and used it like a torch to see the interior of the cave. The rock walls were cracked but would hold up, it was fairly big. Almost as big as her bedroom and there was a flat area at the back of it where she could sleep. There was one like it at the front, but she knew at times could move in her sleep and didn't want to wake up in fire ashes. There was also an adjoining part to the cave, an extension, that led to something else. Zoey hadn't noticed it at first but decided to have a look because it might have something useful. Like firewood. She could see her fire was dying down so she ran to the secret compartment to see if there was some there.

Instead there was something else.

The extension was only small and was about the size of a closet. It was really cracked and there were jagged rocks everywhere.

"Please don't hurt me!" Cried a pained voice. She looked down into the small area to see a boy about her age with tan skin and messy sticky-upy brown hair. It reminded her of an anime character she liked. His clothes were torn and he had cuts and bruised running down the exposed parts of his body. He gazed up at her in fear. As though he was expecting her to burn him with her make-shift torch.

"I won't hurt you." She said in a soothing voice. He looked uncertain. So he wouldn't be scared Zoey walked over a few meters away and hung the torch up over on a piece of rock that looked like it had just been clumped onto the wall, like a messy shelf. It wouldn't fall down there and it provided enough light for her to still see the mysterious boy. She walked back over to him and extended her hand.

"Would you like some help?" She asked. He nodded and accepted her hand. As she helped him up a shot of electricity ran through her hand and sent shivers up her spine. Not bad ones. She could sense the boy felt it to because after he was up he jerked his hand back quickly. She took in what he was wearing. Blue jeans and a teal top with a white collar and white tipped short sleeves. Both were ripped.

"Is that what you usually wear hiking?" He asked her pointing at her silky purple pajamas. She quickly became self-conscious and covered herself up with the cardigan, but that really didn't do much either.

"I wasn't planning on hiking." She mumbled. He gave her and understanding nod. "I know what you mean."

She invited him to sit down next to her near the dying fire. She knew she'd have to get more wood soon. The boy looked nervously at the cave opening before sitting down, but sat down non the less.

"What's your name?" He asked her after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Zoey." She replied. "What's yours?"

"Mike." He told her. "Zoey's a pretty name." He said. A faint blush appeared on Zoey's cheeks. No one had said that before.

"Thanks." She wondered what she could say next, but Mike bet her to it.

"If you don't mind me asking, because you don't have to answer I understand completely, but why are you here in you pajamas if you weren't planning a surprise trip into the cold woods?" He asked stumbling on his own words. Zoey smiled. 'He's cute.' Zoey thought. But then frowned.

"Some popular girls at school invited me to their house and we were playing Truth or Dare." Zoey started. "Now see they don't like me and it turns out they invited me over to make fun of me. Anyways on my turn I picked dare and I was dared to stay in the woods all night with no supplies." Mike gasped.

"That's horrible!" He said appalled. Zoey nodded. "I don't even know why I chose to stand up to Heather!" She cried. "I'm so stupid!"

"Your not stupid. Heather is horrible!" Mike said. Zoey looked at him. "You know Heather?" She asked. He nodded.

"I moved to Wawanakwa high a couple of weeks ago." He explained. "She makes fun of me all the time."

"But you seem so sweet!" Zoey said, but then clamped a hand over her mouth. Did she just say that out loud? Mike blushed.

"I kinda have this problem..." He said softly. She looked at him intrigued. Mike took a good look at the girl before going on. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. From her messy red hair, to her dainty feet - Her toenails colored purple and matched her pajamas - Her eyes were filled with hope, even if she had been sent to sleep in a cave for a night. Suddenly there was rustling outside the cave and the sound of twigs being snapped.

"He's got to be here!" A raspy voice spoke.

"Well there's a campfire! He must be there!" A country sounding voice replied. Mike gulped. He knew those voices all to well. He started to panic.

"Mike!" Zoey cried, what was happening to him. She had no idea how to help him. "Um... Ah... Just breathe Mike, just breathe." that just made him inhale deeper and more. She put her arm on his shoulder. "Please." She said. "Breathe, slowly." at her touch he relaxed a bit. He didn't know why, but her touch just calmed him. He remained calm until two figures appeared at the entrance of the cave.

One was a pale boy with freckles, a dirty white singlet top, torn jeans and had Ginger hair. Zoey had seen him at school before but never had she learnt his name.

The second was someone Zoey had never seen before. He was tall and buff. Jet black hair, leather jacket and jeans with chains on them. He smirked at Mike's fear. Mike had gone back to panicking but worse.

"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." He tried to coax himself.

"Oh c'mon Mike. Aren't ya glad to see us?" The ginger asked with a thick country accent. The second laughed at this.

"Or maybe Vito would be more welcoming?" The black haired one said. "If he's not to busy with the lady!" Zoey blushed but went into a state of confusion. Who was Vito?

"Or would Svetlana grace us with her presence?" Ginger asked. He was laughing so hard Zoey thought his gut would bust.

Svetlana who?

"Talk dammit!" Tall and buff said grabbing Mike by his collar and lifting him up.

"Hey back off!" Zoey yelled, giving him a powerful shove. He dropped Mike and glared at her.

"What'd you say?" he stepped toward her but the Ginger spoke up.

"Wait a second Vince. Wait a freakin' second. Your Zoey the lonely." He doubled over in laughter. Vince raised an eyebrow. "Multiple Mike and Zoey the Lonely together, alone in a cave!" Vince joined in with the freckled kids laughter. Zoey's face started to grow red and Mike was laying on the ground looking panicked again.

"Scott let's finish him!" Vince yelled. Scott stopped laughing and smirked. "Okay then." they both walked over to Mike with their fists raised.

"Expect a lotta pain." Scott whispered in Mike's ear. His eyes widened. Zoey watched. They weren't seriously going to-

First blow right into Mike's face. Courtesy of Scott.

"No!" Zoey cried out. She hadn't known the boy long but she felt... Connected to him. And what they were doing to him was beyond wrong. Mike gasped and suddenly his eyes were twinkly and he was wearing... Lipstick? Zoey was way more then beyond confused at this point.

"Svetlana is getting us out of here!" He cried in a heavy, female, Russian accent. He - or she - raced down the mountain. Scott and Vince took off after him. Zoey was left alone (As usual) but Mike... Or Svetlana or what ever his name was needed help. She quickly put out the fire and ran in pursuit of the three boys.

Meanwhile at Heather's house.

"Do you think Zoey's okay?" Dakota asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"She might have gotten eatin' by a bear or somethin'!" Anne Maria put in.

"I don't like her, but that was a little cruel Heather." Courtney said to the queen bee. Heather shot a glare at the three.

"I hope she does get eaten by a bear, or freezes to death!" Heather yelled kicking Zoey's bag that she bought with her. Lindsay, who was sitting next to it, gave out a yelp.

"If you don't like what I did to her, go hang in the woods with her. Die out there for all I care!" She yelled in rage. The other girls all nodded their heads furiously. Heather smiled.

"That's what I thought."

Back with Zoey, she had caught up with the boys and was trying to push past them when Scott yelled.

"Awe she's trying to protect her mentally challenged boyfriend. How cute."

"He's not my boyfriend." Zoey protested. "And he's not mentally challenged." with that Scott once again cackled like a maniac.

"Yeah because having five other people in your head isn't strange at all." Vince laughed. Zoey couldn't even see Mike anymore as they were now dashing madly through the streets in town.

"You go down around the city center and I'll go back around the woods." Scott told Vince and in an instant Zoey was alone. Now if she were running away from these people, where would she hide? She asked herself.

Zoey walked into town and eventually wasn't even looking where she was going until she realized she was at the park. The swing set was swaying gently in the breeze and it almost looked like a scene out of a horror film. She started walking around until she was at a large tree.

"This spots taken." Mike's voice called out from the other side of the tree. She looked over to see him. His eye was swelling because of Scott's earlier punch.

"Hey." She said and sat down beside him. He didn't shoo her off or move so she considered herself welcome. Mike was genially surprised she was still here. Normally anyone would have left by now. He just expected that, but no. She stayed.

"So... I guess it's good to have Svetlana around." She mused. "Does she always help when things get tough." Mike gulped. He knew he'd have to tell her. And like everyone else she'd leave. She had stayed this long though... No. Mike convinced himself. She was going to get up and walk out of this park when she knew the truth.

"I need to tell you something." Mike sighed. "I have... Multiple personalities. That's why people make fun of me. If you never want to be around me or even talk to me again I'm fine with it." He told her. Zoey gasped.

"That's horrible!" She cried.

"Yeah I know. Wait till ya see the rest." Mike said quietly.

"No, that they make fun of you for it!" Zoey said with rage. "That's no reason to abuse somebody. How can you cope with that?" She asked him. He could see she was being genuine and not making fun of him, which did ultimately surprise him. But for her, he answered.

"You get used to it." He said simply. "I've had my disorder as long as I can recall and everyones always rejected me for it." Zoey gave his hand a squeeze.

"I won't." She said simply. But full of kindness and compassion.

"Now this is new. This I'm NOT used to." Mike said. Zoey giggled.

"Then consider me a friend." She said, but then quickly added. "Only if you want to. If you don't I understand perfectly."

"Ya know. I don't understand." He said. "Your so kind, but you are so lonely."

Zoey sighed. "I don't know. I guess I just wasn't built to have friends." Mike smiled at her.

"Maybe fate was just trying to find you a good one." Zoey smiled at him. "Thanks." She stood up and offered him her hand. He took it and the two stood awkwardly for a minute. "You wanna stay at my place and sleep on the couch?" Mike asked her. "Ya know, in the whole situation your in."

Zoey had completely forgotten about the dare. But she took up Mike's offer. "Sure. Thanks!" the two walked over to Mike's place, on the way discussing their favorite movies and music. They both had a great love for action movies and planned on having a movie day together soon. When they arrived at Mike's house, Mike fumbled over the door handle for a bit and when he finally opened it his parents were there looking at him expectedly.

"Mike where were you?" His blonde haired mother asked. She was medium height with fair skin. She was currently in a purple dressing gown.

"We were so worried!" His father added in worriedly. He was the same height as his wife. He had brown hair and was long and lanky like Mike, but had the same fair skin as Mike's mother.

"I think Manitoba was in control for a bit, but when I took the wheel back I was being chased by some kids from school and winded up trapped in a cave." Mike told them. "And that's where I met Zoey." He gestured to the girl at the door standing there awkwardly. She gave a small wave.

"She can't go home, I'll tell you the details in the morning because it's late okay. But can she crash on the lounge?" He asked his parents who were staring at Zoey.

"Sure." Said his surprised mother.

"Thankyou so much!" Zoey thanked them. Mike went to get Zoey some pillows and a blanket and Mike's dad went to go ring the school about Scott and Vince. Mike didn't even have to tell him who it was because he was just so used it it.

That just left Mike's mother and Zoey.

"Your son is really sweet." Zoey said after a minute of silence. Mike's mother was taken aback. "I don't get why the other kids bully him for something he has no control over. It's stupid!" She vented.

"Trust me. I know." His mother said. "But the school refuses to do anything. Do you go to Wawanakwa?"

"Yeah." Zoey answered. "But I've never really had any friends..." She was shocked by this also. This girl was so sweet! How could she not. This was the closest thing Mike had to a friend.

"Well I think your an extremely kind girl. And not to mention very pretty." She said.

"Thanks." Zoey smiled. "Mrs... Um."

"Doran." She finished. "But just call me Vanessa." After she had said that Mike walked in.

"The couch is set up for you. Sorry if it's uncomfortable." He said. Zoey gave him a smile.

"Its fine really. I still can't believe you are letting me stay the night." She said.

"Hey I owe you." Mike said. "You helped me."

"You guys better hit the hay. It's getting late." Vanessa said. The two teens nodded.

"Night Vanessa." Zoey said. "Night Mike."

"Good night Zoey." Mike replied with a love struck smile. Vanessa noticed this. Once Zoey had walked into the lounge room she said

"You like her don't you." Mike blushed.

"Maybe..." He replied with a crimson face. She giggled at this.

"She's a nice girl. I reckon you'd have a shot with her." Vanessa said.

"Maybe. Or she might just want to be friends. I mean look at me! I don't even own my own brain. It's shared among five other people!" Mike said and Vanessa sighed.

"Mike you really have to stop putting yourself down."

"I can't help it." Mike told her. "Because what I say is just the truth." She hugged him.

"Get to bed." She said and exited the hug. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Love you." Mike said.

"Love you to." Vanessa called back as he walked off to his room and Vanessa went to check why her husband had been gone so long.

The house was two stories. The bottom had the kitchen, lounge room, bathroom, dining room and Mike's bedroom. Upstairs was Mike's parents bedroom, another bathroom, a study and a spare room that didn't have anything in it. They were planning just to use it as a guest bedroom but had never gotten around to it.

After all the lights had been turned off (Shortly after Mike went to bed.) everyone had fallen asleep.

Mike woke up in a white room. There was no door. Just white walls, white floor and a white roof.

"Where am I?" He asked himself. But then he realized he was in a straightjacket.

"What's going on?!" He yelled when suddenly blood started dripping down the walls. Mike started to panic as blood slowly started to consume the small space of the room. Mike screamed. He couldn't move because of the straightjacket.

"HELP!" He cried. "HELP!" the walls then turned to glass, but the blood still continued to rise. Outside the glass was four versions of himself, one with a fedora, one shirtless and had his hair slicked back with gel, one with bright sparkly eyes and red lipstick and and one that had one eye closed and bore wrinkles. They were all banging on the glass screaming, trying to free him. He floated to the top, screaming as the blood engulfed the last of the glass room. There was no more air left to breathe. Then he was dragged down by a shadowy figure. Another version of himself. With shadows under his eyes and hair pushed down over one eye. He wore a wicked smile. Malevolent laughter was all he could her along with the sound of peoples screaming. The other four kept banging on the glass, but then started to lose breath, something was choking them, and they dropped to the ground.

"NO!" Mike screamed but regretted it as blood filled his mouth. He couldn't hold onto conciseness any longer and with one final thought he let go of reality. The last thing he saw was the malevolent smile the Emo haired version of himself was wearing.

Zoey heard Mike screaming. And bolted to his room. Not knowing where it was so she had to follow his scream. She found him curled up on his bed in a ball, rocking back and fourth slowly. He was sweating and looked as though he had been crying.

"Mike." Zoey gasped and sat down on the bed next to him. She grabbed one of his hands and held it, stroking her thumb up and down it. This calmed him. After a minute or two he unfurled himself and sat normally.

"What happened?" Zoey asked him. "I heard you screaming."

"Nightmare." Mike sighed. "I get them a lot. This one was especially bad though." Zoey squeezed his hand tighter.

"Well at least it's over now." She said. He smiled.

"Yeah..."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Talking about it would be like reliving it and I don't wanna give you nightmares." He answered.

"That's okay. I understand." she said. "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. Thanks." she turned to walk out the door but he called out to her.

"Wait!" Zoey turned around. "Can you... Can you stay with me?" He asked with his normally broken eyes filled with hope. She smiled.

"Sure." He laid down under his covers and Zoey laid next to him, but on top of the covers. She held his hand again and rubbed it softly.

"Thankyou." He whispered.

"Your welcome." She whispered back in a soothing tone. Eventually the two fell asleep and Mike had a dreamless sleep for the fist time in a long time.

Mike's parents who had heard him screaming earlier had come down only to see Zoey had beaten them their and was sitting next to his curled up form. They watched as he untangled his long legs and she soothed him with a seemingly magic touch. They were amazed at how she had calmed him and hadn't rejected him like everyone else in the world had. They had almost been caught spying on them but Mike stopped Zoey before she had seen them and curled up next to him. They had never seen their adopted son sleep so peacefully.

"I like her." Mike's father said.

"Me to Craig. Me to." Vanessa replied and the two went off to their own bed to sleep.

Before Zoey fell asleep her last thought was. 'Things are going to be better now. I just know it'

Who knew that such a horrible person as Heather could actually help Zoey in finding a friend?

Mike's thoughts were all about Zoey before he fell asleep. 'She's amazing, and sweet, and kind and pretty. I wonder if she'd go out with a guy like me? If she doesn't and just wants to stay friends I'm cool with that but just imagine what it could be like.

But all I can say for now is everythings going to be okay. Its finally going to get better'

**Hey guys. Yeah I know I REALLY shouldn't be writing one-shots when I still have to finish Fears and The Alters Play Monopoly, but this has been a half written fic for months so I decided to finish it.**

**And I feel SO bad for not updating The Alters Play Monopoly as well because I'm getting all these reviews on it and I'm not updating :/ Fears wont be updated in a while because I'm trying to figure out how to end it. So in other words MORE ONESHOTS! **

**Please review and I thank the people who have on my over fics!**

**~Jay~**


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